Potential new business - GITCO virtual forums or brainstorms

In the context of GODORT strategic planning as a whole, GITCO should examine current and identify future challenges associated with access, provision, and distribution of electronic government information in an environment where electronic government information has become the dominant format and medium for distribution.

In order to drive its future work and represent these issues to the GODORT strategic planning committee, it is proposed that GITCO host 3 spring virtual forums during the months of March, April, and May to identify key and emerging issues in access, provision and distribution to this material. In addition to surfacing issues associated with the future of the committee, the activities will represent outreach to the library community and beyond.

Themes identified during these forums can form the basis for a draft report from GITCO to GODORT strategic planning to provide its perspective on how GITCO issues can be represented in the organization as a whole, potentially redefining the future role of GITCO. This draft report could be worked on at ALA Annual 2009

Virtual forum details:
3 GITCO-member hosted one-hour virtual chat forums held via a free service like Meebo rooms.
We would advertise via list-servs and other web-based means to invite participants from GODORT/ALA and outside the organization.
Each forum could center on a broad topic: one might be internally focused on the committee’s structure.
Deliverables:

session records from forums are archived on the GODORT wiki (or perhaps blog)

GITCO summarizes key issues

1 month of outreach in June (pre-annual conference) on FGI, GITCO members elaborate on issues that surfaced in the forums

Annual meeting is working meeting to produce draft document on issues associated with GITCO charge for GODORT strategic planning